The Rise of VFX in Film

While we know the craft of SPFX (physical special effects) is indeed still alive and kicking after our feature in the last NZTECHO magazine, there is no denying that the digital world of VFX (visual effects) is a large part of the future for film and television. Since Steven Spielberg wowed us with Jurassic Park in the early 1990s, advances in VFX have been incredible. While Wellington’s Weta Digital certainly has been a front runner in the progression, the magic of VFX is certainly not just in the domain of Peter Jackson and James Cameron. The role VFX is playing on our screens is getting bigger and bigger, you only have to look at Ang Li’s Life of Pi, a mostly VFX film.

Our main VFX feature focuses on today’s world of VFX but it is interesting to note that forms of VFX have been around for years, even back in the days of New Zealand classic Utu, as pointed out by cinematographer and Techos’ Guild president Alun Bollinger in the latest Guild workshop. Albol supported VFX supervisor Charlie McClellan in the presentation that ran in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown.

So, still on the topic of new things, our other feature is on new media and looks at some of the issues presented to technicians in the age of the internet. We’d love to hear from you (email info@nztecho.com) if you have feedback on this subject.

Our lawyer Tim Riley also gives some thoughts on new media and what the film industry is doing to adapt.

We continue our article on keeping New Zealand as a filming destination of choice. Interesting to note that working together more, both as technicians and as an industry as a whole, comes up a couple of times in this issue.

It’s quiet on the work front at the moment for many technicians, hopefully the extra capacity comes at a useful time and you’re able to weather the storm…

On the subject of weather, winter has definitely settled in, so enjoy this edition of NZTECHO in a warm and cosy space…

Carolyn Brooke, editor